Late but better than never.
This seemed to take a while to get out. The problem with listening to a dozen or so releases over a period of time is running out of ways to describe what I like (or don’t like) and convey a sense of how the music sounds. Many of these bands have limited history or presence so comparisons are difficult. Then there are the usual distractions and desires to listen to other pieces.
Best of the Week
Grice - Polarchoral
2022 10 tracks (1:10:06)
My first listening was the first track on the album, “Involution” and I thought this was a new Steve Wilson/Porcupine Tree release that I wasn’t aware about. Same high level composition, engineering, and performance levels one would expect from Wilson. The title track, “Polarchoral” is a 14 minute tour de force with an array of interplaying instruments around a central theme. This is a delight. A
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
2023 9 tracks (48:47)
Slow moving pop. Nice recording, vocals. Definitely shoegazing flavor but with an experimental edge.Probably the best comparison is to Camper Van Beethoven due to the ability to come out of pop’s left field. But, they kill it on practically every song with a clean driven sound. A-
Elder - Innate Passage
2022 5 tracks (53:53)
The sixth release from the Berlin based stoner group is a complete success with many expanded tunes.If this is stoner prog rock, give me more. A
Interesting Finds
Godley & Creme - Frabjous Days
2022 19 tracks (57:48)
Taken from material Lol Creme and Kevin Godley created before becoming 10CC, this is a rare look at how they honed their fabulous creative writing talents evident before they impacted the world. Listen to “Chaplin House” to get an idea. Although some of the recordings are dated (this is the late 60’s), their ability to write and play effective and fun pop is clearly evident. Several songs were penned by Graham Gouldman, so it is essentially ¾ of 10CC (is that 7.5 CC’s??) This gets a B only because of the dated recording, otherwise it’s classic level stuff.
Galahad - The Last Great Adventurer
2022 7 tracks (55:24)
As members of the Marillion and IQ English prog rock community, they produce pleasant extended rock cuts.
Spiritraiser - Ciklos
2022 10 tracks (53:37)
This release by the Finnish group of alternative rock has its moments.
Gazzara - Progression
2022 12 tracks (1:05:06)
Gazzara is Francesco Gazzara, an Italian multi-instrumentalist. There are moments this could have been mid-70’s Genesis (“Winchelsea”) Kind of a blend between Camel and Rick Wakeman. Movie music?
Soft Machine - Bundles (2022 Remaster and Expanded)
1974 27 tracks (2:01:08)
By this time, Soft Machine had gone down a long road. Well ensconced in jazz fusion styles and adding Allen Holdsworth to the mix, this was the last Soft Machine featuring any of the original Soft Machine members. Several live tracks stood out because they displayed more jamming than the studio tracks. By this time, Soft Machine had left the initial verve that made them groundbreaking and were resorting to recipe. The live tracks make it worthwhile. B-
Schnauser - Altra Seccatura
2022 10 tracks (44:04)
Odd quirky bouncy pop featuring horns and stylish arrangements. Looking for a spark that would make me give a damn about finding more of their work. Maybe their artwork is enough? C-
Christopher Libertino - Cartography
2022 9 tracks (51:58)
Known more for scoring film music, Libertino music only release has those elements that lend itself to film accompaniment. That said, several pieces find themselves to be a satisfying groove in their own right. B-
Condor Gruppe - Gulliver
2022 8 tracks (42:36)
Some moments have those retro feelings (“Inside Out”), picture Ghost Riders in the Sky kind of guitar and basic rhythms. They may be Belgian, but they sound like Enrico Morricone on a psychedelic trip. Good production, nifty tunes, it certainly could have been worse B-
Nightlands - Moonshine
2022 10 tracks (32:12)
Dreamy pop augmented with processed vocals and electronic music. Thought of Owl City as a comparison.
Gentle Giant - Free Hand (2021 Remix)
1974 7 tracks (37:11)
The Steven Wilson remix of Free Hand has done the music world a huge favor by bringing this influential band into the light again. The remix quality is outstanding, shedding away the decades of murkiness of the original release. Let’s face it, recording and engineering GG had to be a difficult task given the multipart vocals, odd rhythms and time signatures, and difficult tonal shifts. Wilson has no issue in buffing Free Hand to a brilliant shine it was due. A
Satyricon - Satyricon & Munch
2022 1 track (56:08)
Yes, this is one track of music. The first six minutes sounds like some kind of industrial noise amalgamation before getting into the meat of it. For the most part, it is serviceable background music using a mixture of electronica with a change in theme gradually throughout. Definitely not portable player music. C-
Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, etc - Ghosted
2022 4 tracks (38:09)
This is such a fascinating album. Oren Ambarchi is a multi-instrumentalist who has a unique way to produce guitar sounds by plucking and striking it with sticks. Along with Berthling and Werliin, they play a form of jazz rock with a world beat.
Forgettable
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